Joshua Laguit

Mrs. Joanna Haskins

Junior English DE
29 March 2017

Community Project Proposal: Surprise Fine Arts Center

The National Endowment for the Arts, created by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965,

is a program that strives to assist artists and creators with limited access to resources with

pursuing and achieving their dreams. However, after its creation, the NEA has deviated from its

original mission of giving more opportunities to smaller, grassroot art organizations and

individuals. It has also received many budget cuts, which further impedes the programs initial

goals. A 2016 article in The Atlantic states, As the NEAs budget has been slashed, private

donors and foundations have jumped in to fill the gap, but the institutions they support, and that

receive the bulk of arts funding in this country, arent reaching the people the NEA was founded

to help serve (Horwitz). Many young, scrappy, and hungry individuals in the country are

desperately searching for ways to to join the next generation of great creators and virtuosos. As a

nation, we must do our best to encourage these ambitious people; and what better way than to

start in our own community? In our small city of Surprise, we should strongly consider funding

and building a publicly funded fine arts center in order to encourage youth engagement in the

community, promote public interaction, and establish an environment conducive to artistic

development.

Fine arts has the underutilized ability to bring a community together and encourage

engagement from people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. Ive had the opportunity to put

on theatre productions with the Paradise Honors High School Drama Club for the past two

school years. From personal experience, I can attest to the potential for fine arts as a medium for

uniting different types of individuals. Through sharing a common appreciation for fine arts, our
drama club has been able to encourage participation and interest among members of our student

body, as well as other members of the community. If Surprise funds a larger scale institution

dedicated to the fine arts, the community will have one more tool with which it can foster both

individual and collective growth.

Some would argue that spending money on a fine arts center is wasteful, and that there

are other programs or projects that could achieve a similar outcome . Including our own

community, many other communities have seen the effect fine arts can have on a community. For

example, the Project for Public Spaces, an organization dedicated to helping people create and

sustain public spaces that build stronger communities, shared an article that shares the various

benefits art projects have to offer communities (Project for Public Spaces). The author Tom

Borrup discusses how art projects can promote interaction in a public space, increase civic

participation through celebrations, engage youth in the community, promote the power and

preservation of place, and broaden participation in the civic agenda (Borrup). The article also

includes various success stories from many communities. While there are many fine art programs

in Surprise, they are mostly within schools. While these programs help, they do not encourage

participation from all members of the community, as they are only available to those with

connections to such a program. If Surprise were to build a community fine arts center, it would

allow everybody (not just a select few) the opportunity to be engaged in the arts.

Many may be concerned that such a project would require too much time, energy, and

money to complete. While the project would require much effort, with enough participation and

support, it would be easily completed. To start, the community would need to gather enough

interest in the project, as well as assemble a group of individuals who can serve on a committee

for planning and development. These supporters could potentially be youth and adults already
involved in the arts, such as student actors or directors. The organization would then need to

achieve funds for the construction of the facilities. Some may wonder, Where would these funds

come from? Unsurprisingly, the funds would come from the community itself. Interested

individuals would be asked to donate any amount of money they can in order to reach a

predetermined amount of money. The funds would go towards construction costs, facility needs

such as instruments and sound equipment, and payment for the staff. With enough support and

funds from the community, the city would then need to be convinced to provide the rest of the

funding, in order to ensure that the center operates in accordance with certain guidelines,

standards, and laws. Once this is accomplished, the committee and other supporters would have

to present the idea to the appropriate city officials to obtain approval.

The process and idea may seem very grand and ambitious. However, the community

could use more participation and involvement from both youth and adults. Almost everyone has

an appreciation for some form of fine arts, such as visual art, music, theatre performances, and

many others. Public performances by community members can develop an appreciation of the

many talents and gifts possessed by the various residents of the city. This will help bring together

the community and make it stronger. As a primary source, many fine arts advisors, such as Mrs.

Creel, can definitely attest to the positive effects fine arts can have on a community. With a

stronger community, the city could then work towards even larger projects and improve other

aspects of the community. However, the community needs a place to start, and fine arts is the

perfect vehicle for inspiring action.

 Works Cited

Borrup, Tom. 5 Ways Arts Projects Can Improve Struggling Communities. Project for Public

Places, 2009. http://www.pps.org/reference/artsprojects/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.

Horwitz, Andy. Who Should Pay for the Arts in America? The Atlantic, 2016.

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/01/the-state-of-public-funding-

for-the-arts-in-america/424056/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2017.